Thursday’s Prep Girls Soccer: Beavers Win Evergreen League Title With Victory Against Bulldogs

MONTESANO — Tenino had already secured the No. 1 seed heading into the District IV 1A girls soccer tournament but had their eyes on a different prize here on Thursday night.

Brieanna Dell scored the only goal for the Beavers in a 1-0 victory to clinch the 1A Evergreen League title all for themselves.

It is the first league championship for the Beavers since 2003 and only the second ever league championship for the girls soccer program. Tenino finished the season undefeated at 15-0-1 and 10-0 in league games.

“It feels awesome. I’m so proud of these girls,” Tenino coach Kevin Schultz said. “To finish the regular season undefeated and keep the focus and intensity every game. We start anywhere from seven to nine sophomores and to keep that focus level up, I’m looking forward to getting to districts and hosting on our field. It’s awesome.”

It was a scoreless first half. In the 74th minute, Tenino was fouled just barely outside the box on the left edge. Dell lined up her free kick and fired it into the top right corner over the goalie’s head for the only tally of the night.

“The sideline went crazy, I went crazy,” Schultz said.

Going into Thursday’s game, Montesano and Tenino were looking at the possibility of winding up co-league champions, but the Beavers came in wanting to win the league title outright.

“I thought we played really well. We talked yesterday gong into the playoffs to treat this as a playoff game,” Schultz said. “They always say defense wins championships, so we needed to be focused defensively. Of all the teams we’ve played, that’s the best team we’ve played and we shut them out again.”

Schultz commended the defense of Ashley Schow, Alivia Hunter, Andee Schaffran, Kayla Feltus and Kathryn Fittinger. He also noted the defensive work of Iris Campesino and Morgan Miner for stepping up big and tracking some of Montesano’s key players on the defensive end.

Tenino goalkeeper Abby Severse made four saves in a clean sheet. The Beavers outshot Montesano, 16-12 in the game.

The Beavers have a week off before they host their first district tournament game at 7 p.m. next Thursday in the district semifinals.